Biography

Mac Blackout (Mark Dunihue McKenzie) is an American visual artist and musician born in Indiana, now based in Chicago. McKenzie attended the Heron School of Art in Indianapolis where he graduated with a BFA. In the early stages of his career he became well known as an underground street artist and this influence can still be seen in his work today.

Mac is a muralist and multimedia artist creating large scale public works with a studio focus in painting, drawing, sculpture and mixed media art. Rebellious, loud and unapologetic are words that come to mind when in the presence of his work, characteristics that are no doubt influenced by the artist’s extensive musical background. The founding member of The Functional Blackouts, Daily Void, Mickey, New Rose Alliance, Armageddon Experimental Band, and MBB (Mac Blackout Band), Mac is also known as a prolific solo recording artist.

His musical projects have been released by prominent independent recording labels, with records from experimental improvisations to lo fi punk and glam rock anthems that do not fit neatly into any discernible genre. Such unrestricted style permeates into his visual art where McKenzies audible creativity is channelled into music related art, an interdisciplinary pursuit with dramatic effect.

Mac’s aritistic experience is vast and impressive. His visual artistic endeavours have seen him create countless murals across Chicago for various streets, shops and venues and designed album covers to represent his musical interests as well as being represented by galleries is the U.S and Australia.

Education

Indiana University, Herron School of Art, BFA, 1999

Solo Exhibitions

2019 Cosmic Pop, Galerie F, Chicago

2019 Starbucks Reserve Community Capsule Collection, Chicago

2018 Mac Blackout 2018 Solo Show, Uncle Art, Chicago

2018 Geometric Giants, Feed Arts & Cultural Center, Kankakee

2017 Madman’s Eye, Galerie F, Chicago

2017 Rise of The Geometric Giants, Ampersand, Chicago

2016 Mac Blackout S/T solo exhibition, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago

2015 Mac Blackout S/T solo exhibition, Continental, Chicago

2014 Nightmares and Pretty Things, Chicago Public Library, Chicago

Selected Group Exhibitions

2020 Everything But The Kitschen Sync, La Luz De Jesus, Los Angeles

2020 Head On Collision, Last Projects, Los Angeles

2019 Designercon, La Luz De Jesus, Los Angeles

2019 Smalls To The Walls, Galerie F, Chicago

2019 Triple Threat, Rotofugi Gallery, Chicago

2018 Power Couples, Galerie F, Chicago

2018 Chicago Painting Showcase, Namaste, Los Angeles

2018 McKenzie Family Collaborative, Ampersand, Chicago

2018 Triclops, Standing Passengers, Chicago

2018 Images Now!, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago

2018 Restless II, Galerie F, Chicago

2018 Fake Holidays, East Room, Chicago

2017 New School Old City, Pilsen Outpost, Chicago

2017 Mac Blackout/Junk Yard duo exhibition, Bustin’ Out, Chicago Truborn, Chicago

2017 Familiar Faces, Galerie F, Chicago

2017 East Room Art Museum, East Room, Chicago

2017 Required Reading, Galerie F, Chicago

2017 Secret Walls Collaborator’s Pop Up Exhibition, Galerie F, Chicago

2016 Enemies, East Room, Chicago

2016 Naked People, Vintage Quest, Chicago

2016 Can I Kick It, Chicago Truborn, Chicago

2016 Hope For The Day, Revolution Brewery, Chicago

2016 Cults, East Room, Chicago

2015 PBR Pop Up Art Show, Canvas Gallery, Chicago

2015 Boundless Brooklyn, Galerie F, Chicago

2015 East Room Art Show #1, East Room, Chicago

2015 Saki Records Records exhibit, Chicago

2015 CIMM Fest HQ group exhibit, Chicago

2015 Telepathic Telephones, Auxiliary Art Center, Chicago

2014 Cantankerous, Gallery Bar, Chicago

2014 Canvas Gallery, Chicago

2013 Tarantisimo Summit Art Show 2, Raven’s Nest, Chicago

2012 Tarantisimo Summit Art Show 1, Reversible Eye, Chicago

2012 Dystopia, Los Manos Gallery, Chicago

2011 Hozac Blackout, HoZac Records, Chicago

2005 You’ve Lost Your Eyes, Congress Theatre, Chicago

1999 Bank One Tower, Indianapolis

Museum Exhibitions

2019 Rocked & Rolled, group exhibition, Illinois State Museum

2017 Toy Box; Inspiration Through Play, group exhibition, Illinois State Museum

Public Community Murals

2019 “Herbie Hancock” Portraits: Chicago Faces, Pilsen, Chicago

2018 Lincoln Hall “Alley of Dreams” Chicago

2018 “Cosmic Creator”, Paint Gary, Gary

2015 Stellar Mural Project, Bedford

2015 606 Trail, Chicago

Selected Private Murals

2020 Interior, “Five Senses” Accenture corporate office, Chicago

2020 Interior, House of Vans, Chicago

2020 Exterior, Secret Walls/Start Los Angeles

2019 Exterior, Momentum Urban Arts Fest

2019 Exterior, “Chicago Faces” Pilsen, Chicago

2019 Interior, Shure corporate office, Chicago

2019 Interior, WNDR museum, Chicago

2019 Exterior, “Cosmic Pop” 2424 N Milwaukee, Chicago

2018 Exterior, “Geometric Giants”, Kankakee

2018 Exterior, Sleeping Village, Chicago

2018 Exterior, Avenue Eyes, Chicago

2018 Interior, Taylor Gourmet, Chicago

2018 Interior, “Green Level”, Chicago

2018 Exterior, “Cosmic Traveler”, SSP Indianapolis

2017 Exterior, “Cosmic Cat”, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago

2017 Exterior, “Geometric Giants”, Galerie F, Chicago

2017 Exterior, Project Logan, Chicago

2017 Exterior, Reckless Records, Chicago

2016 Exterior storefront mural, Bucket O’ Blood Records, Chicago

2016 Exterior storefront mural, Shake Shop, Chicago

2016 Interior mural, Ground Control, Chicago

2016 Exterior mural, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago

Notable Commissions

2019 Starbucks Chicago Roastery Collection, Chicago

2019 WNDR Museum installation, Chicago

2019 Sculpture featured in Chance The Rapper “We Go High” official music video, Chicago

2019 “Cosmic Pop” painting commission for Hanig’s Footwear, Chicago

Texts

Mac Blackout (Author), “Madman’s Eye: The Art of Mac Blackout”, HoZac Books, 2017

Dollah, Rodney (Compiler), “New School Old City”, Not My Comix, 2017

Curatorial projects

2018 “Images Now!”, Uncle Art Gallery, Chicago